Datacentre Groups Proposed New Renewable Energy Hubs
Associations aim to build facilities at power generation sites to solve grid congestion across Europe.
Updated on Sept. 29, 2026 in Data Centers
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European datacentre associations have proposed a new strategy to reduce grid congestion by constructing facilities directly at renewable energy generation sites. This initiative seeks to solve infrastructure bottlenecks by consuming electricity at the point of origin.
Why it matters
Grid operators currently face high costs and technical hurdles transporting power from offshore wind farms to inland demand centers. By co-locating, datacentres can leverage battery storage and backup power to stabilize regional energy grids during periods of strain.
Datacentres located at generation sites consume power at the source rather than drawing from strained transmission lines. These facilities are designed to integrate battery storage systems to provide grid stabilization services during supply shortages.
The players
TenneT
TenneT is a leading European transmission system operator that manages high-voltage electricity grids in the Netherlands and Germany.
Vertiv
Vertiv is a global provider of critical digital infrastructure and continuity solutions for data centers and communication networks.
The details
The proposal addresses the lack of demand at offshore landing sites which has stalled financing for projects like the 1GW Nederwiek I-A wind tender. By aligning high-energy users with supply points, operators hope to alleviate the backlog of businesses waiting for grid connections.
Timeline
At the end of 2025, over 15,000 applications for grid connections were queued in the Netherlands.
In January 2026, the Irish government published a Large Energy User Action Plan.
During 2026, Vertiv hosted its Vertiv Week event in Zagreb to discuss industry infrastructure.
The Tech Race
This transition moves the industry toward a model where datacentres function as essential energy partners rather than passive consumers. It signals a shift away from traditional inland siting toward integrated infrastructure near offshore wind assets like the Nederwiek I-A tender.
This move aims to stabilize power availability, potentially reducing the frequency of energy-related service disruptions for the public. It also seeks to clear the massive backlog of grid applications, which could accelerate the expansion of digital services that require reliable electricity.
The takeaway
The co-location strategy represents a pragmatic step toward bridging the gap between renewable generation and industrial demand. By consuming energy at the source, datacentres could transform from grid stressors into critical stabilizing assets for future power systems.
Further reading
For more background on facility development, visit the Data Centers section.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Computer Weekly.
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Should governments prioritize building datacentres near renewable energy sites to reduce grid congestion?
